media-releases

Ice Training And Support To Protect Frontline Workers

A new free online training package will help frontline workers and service providers respond to people affected by ice safely and effectively.

Acting Premier James Merlino and Minister for Health, Jill Hennessy, today launched the new $400,000 training package, which forms part of the Andrews Labor Government’s $45.5 million Ice Action Plan.

People affected by ice can become violent. This puts the safety of our nurses, doctors, paramedics, police, child protection workers, social workers and others on the frontline at risk.

This new training package can be accessed online and used to deliver face-to-face training that will equip frontline workers to identify people affected by ice, understand its effects, and ensure the safety of themselves, their co-workers and the broader community.

It is designed for a range of workforces, including health and human services, education, law enforcement and other industries where people are likely to come into contact with people who are ice-affected and their families.

Currently, training for workers who come into contact with people affected by ice varies across the state. This new standard training will ensure all of our frontline workers are better equipped to deal with people who are ice affected.

The Labor Government will continue to build on this training package. Over the next three months, a range of resources and training modules that reflect different workplace settings will be developed for employers to use as part of their existing education and training program.

As part of the Ice Action Plan, the Government is also investing $600,000 to expand investments in clinical supervision for mental health, alcohol and drug treatment workers by further training existing supervisors, and making sure organisations have structures for supervision and effective responses to ice in place.

The Government is also supporting Turning Point Drug and Alcohol Centre to examine the existing addiction specialist workforce in Victoria and consider alternative models to deliver expanded addiction medicine services.

This new training complements the Labor Government’s $20 million Health Service Violence Prevention Fund, which is delivering additional safety measures to reduce and prevent violence in our hospitals.

For more information, or access to Ice: training for frontline workers visit ice.vic.gov.au/icetraining

Quotes attributable to Acting Premier James Merlino

“It can be difficult and dangerous to manage or treat someone affected by ice. This training ensures we’re giving our frontline workers the skills and confidence to respond to ice users safely.”

“Violence and aggression towards our frontline workers will not be tolerated – I’d encourage all frontline workers and service providers to incorporate this package into their existing workplace training and education programs.”

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Jill Hennessy

“Our frontline workers deserve to feel safe at work so they can do their job treating patients and saving lives.”

“This training package is an important tool for our police, paramedics, nurses, doctors, child protection workers and social workers who are working at the coal face of this challenging issue.”